Back trim and sealing molding



Jan. 5,

J. STANITZ BACK TRIM AND SEALING MOLDING Filed Jan. 6, 1950 I N VEN TOR. Jacques Stan/viz BY W Patented Jan. 5, 1 954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BACK TRIM AND SEALING MOLDING Jacques Stanitz, Warren, Ohio, assignor to Mullins Manufacturing Corporation, Salem, Ohio, a corporation of New York Application January 6, 1950, Serial No. 137,083

6 Claims.

The invention relates generally to table tops for sinks and cabinets and the like which are placed against the wall of a kitchen or room, and relates particularly to a novel trim molding which provides an ornamental continuous sealing joint between the wall and the back splash members of a row of sink and cabinet table tops.

The walls of a kitchen are ordinarily finished by a plasterer before the sink and base cabinets are installed, and while the plasterer makes a finished wall surface which is generally fiat retain the sealing compound, it often drops to the floor in the space behind the cabinets, especially after it has dried out.

Obviously, it is unsatisfactory to chip out the plaster to make a strip of even flat surface behind the back splashes of a line of cabinets, and

'in some cases a wooden ledge has been fitted to the wall in such a manner as to compensate for the lrregiilarities therein and present a straight fiat surface abutting the back splashes of a row of sink and cabinet tops. Such an expedient adds materially to the installation expense.

It is afgeneral object of the present invention to provide a novel back trim molding for the back splash portions of table tops which will compensate for irregularities in the adjacent wall surface and solve the problem of providing a neat and continuous joint between the straight 'line of a row of sink and cabinet tops and the uneven wavy wall surface against which the cabinets are installed.

Another and more specific object is to provide a novel back trim and sealing molding which will provide a pocket and an interlock for sealing compound.

A further object is to provide a novel back trim and sealing molding which snaps over the tops of a line of back splashes and is automatically resiliently interlocked with said back splashes.

A still further object is to provide a novel and inexpensive back trim and sealing molding for the tops of a row of table top back splashes, said 2 molding being ornamental in appearance and easily applied without the use of tools.

These and other objects apparent to those skilled in the art may be obtained by the devices, constructions, arrangements, elements and combinations comprising the present invention, the nature of which is setforth in the following gen eral statement, a preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and shown in the drawing as exemplifying the best known mode of carrying out the invention, and which is particularly and distinctly set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

In general terms, the novel back trim and sealing molding comprising the present invention may be described as a resilient ornamental molding strip of inverted channel shape for fitting over the top end of the back splash portion of a table top, thefront leg of the channel having an inturned lip at its lower edge engaging the front of the back splash and the rear leg having forwardly projecting lugs for snap fitting under the lower edge of a flange on the rear of said back splash, the rear leg of the channel having a coextensive resilient angular flange extending rearwardly upward from its bottom edge and engaging the wall behind the back splash, said angular flange forming a pocket for sealing compound between the back splash and the adjacent wall and being preferably perforated to interlock with said sealing compound.

Referring to the drawing forming part hereof, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example:

Figure l is a detached perspective view of the novel back trim and sealing molding;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view as on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the novel molding applied to the back splash of a metal sink; and v Fig. 4 isa fragmentary sectional view showing the novel molding applied to the back splash of a sheet metal table top for a base cabinet and the like.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the novel molding indicated generally at 5 is applied to the "top of the back splash of a sink or cabinet table top and fills the space between the back splash and the adjacent wall 6, thus acting as a trim strip for the back splash and a sealing strip for the joint. The molding strip 5 includes an inverted channel or U-shaped portion having a front leg or flange 1, a top web 8, and a rear leg or flange 9. An angular flange I0, coextensive with the rear leg 9, extends rearwardly upward from the bottom edge of the leg 9 so that the leg 9 and angular flange form a V-shape in cross section.

The molding is made of resilient sheet metal, and may be extruded aluminum or stainless steel so as to be ornamental in appearance. The contour of the channel portion conforms substantially to the contour of the top of the back splash portions H of standard sinks and back splash portions l2 of the table tops for base cabinets and the like. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the outer contours of these back splashes H and I2 are identical, so that the novel molding fits all of them equally well.

Preferably, the lower edge of the front leg 1 is provided with an inturned lip I3 for frictionally engaging the front surface of the back splashes, and the channel portion is made so that when it is telescoped over the top of the back splashes the legs 8 and 9 are sprung apart slightly, causing the lip to resiliently engage the front of the back splashes, while the leg 9 resiliently contacts the rear flange of the back splash.

The rear flange I4 of the back splash ll terminates adjacent to its top end and the leg 9 of the novel molding is made to extend slightly below the bottom of said flange M. A series of forwardly projecting lugs I5 is provided in said leg 9, preferably being stamped or punched therefrom at suitable longitudinal intervals, and located to engage under the bottom edge of the flange l4. Thus, when the channel portion of the molding is telescoped over the top of the back splash, the legs Band 9 will spring apart until the lugs l5 snap under the bottom edge of the flange l4 and automatically lock the molding onto the top of the back splash. The inturned lip l3 and the resiliency of the channel portion insure a continuous engagement between the bottom edge of the front leg 1 of the strip and the front surface of the back splash. Preferably, the angular flange I0 is perforated with a series of holes l6 throughout its length in order to provide an interlock with the putty or sealing material I! when it is introduced into the V-pocket formed between the flange l0 and leg 9.

As the back splasheswith the molding 5 thereon are pushed against the wall 6, the upper edge of flange l0 engages the wall, and because of the resiliency of the flange, it will-accommodate itself to and compensate for irregularities in the wall surface and provide substantially continuous contact therewith. After the back splashes have been thus positioned. the sealing compound I! can be introduced into the pocket provided by the flange l0 and smoothed off flush with the :top 8 of the molding strip to make a neat joint anda permanent continuous seal with the wall. As shown, the sealing material will protrude through the holes Hi to form an interlock with .said flange i0 throughout its length.

, The-table top and back splash shown fragmentarily in Fig. 4 includes the sheet metal back splash I! which has a coved portion .48 spot welded to a recessed portion [9 in the top of a sheet metal box-like base member 20, the back panel 2| of the back splash being spot welded along its bottom edge to the back flange .22 of the base member. The upper portion 2| of the back panel is recessed to receive the back flange 23 of a nosing channel 24 which fits over the top of the back splash and may be secured thereto by bolts 25. The nosing channel .24 has a front flange 26 which abuts and forms a flush joint with the top edge of a covering of linoleum or the like extending over the base member and the front of the back splash.

The outer contour of the nosing 24 is identical in shape and dimension to the outer contour of the top of back splash I I, and the bottom edge of back flange 23 is engaged by the lugs I5 to form an interlock for the molding strip 5, in the same manner as the bottom edge of flange M on back splash II is engaged by said lugs. As shown, the inturned lip I3 may engage the surface of the linoleum on the front of back splash I2.

The novel back trim and sealing molding is inexpensively made, and easily applied and automatically interlocked on the back splashes of a line of sink and cabinet table tops, without the use of any tools. The novel molding constitutes an ornamental trim member extending continuously over the back splashes and providing a neat and continuous seal between the back splashes and the adjacent Wall. The pocket provided by the novel molding strip insures a permanent continuous joint, because the sealing compound is continuously supported and interlocked throughout the length of the joint, and does not come loose and drop down behind the cabinets. In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no limitations are tobe implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are utilized for descriptive purposes herein and not for the purpose of limitation, and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated and described herein is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction of the various parts.

Having now described the features of the invention, the manufacture of a preferred embodiment of the improved back trim and sealin molding, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful devices, constructions, arrangements, and combinations, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. In sink and table top erection construction wherein rectilinearly-aligned, upstanding sink and table top splash backs are positioned against an irregularly formed, wavy, non-planar, room side wall surface leaving an uneven crack-space of varying width between the aligned splash backs and the non-planar wall surface, the cominationof a compensating molding member having a longitudinally extending inverted, U-shaped portion snap-fitting over said upstanding splash backs with one U-leg in front of and the other U-leg behind the splash backs, means securing said molding member to said splash backs, a resilient, longitudinally extending flange coextensive with and projecting upwardly outwardly from the bottom end of said other U-leg behind said splash backs, said resilient flange having an upper free edge in yielding engagement with said non-planar wall surface and forming with said other U-leg a generally V-shaped pocket, and sealing compound filling said pocket closing said crack-space.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the resilient flange is formedwith perforations to allow thev sealing compound tointerlock therewith. 3. The construction defined in claim 1 in which inwardly projecting lugs are formed on said other U-leg providing the means securing the molding member to the splash backs.

4. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the bottom end of said one U-leg is formed with an inturned lip frictionally engaging the splash backs.

5. A resilient molding strip for rectilinearlyaligned upstanding splash backs of sink and table tops for trimming the uneven crack-space of varying width between aligned splash backs and. an irregularly formed, wavy, non-planar, room wall surface against which the splash backs are positioned, the molding strip including a longitudinally extending, inverted, U-shaped portion for resilient telescopic engagement over rectilinearly-aligned sink and table top upstanding splash backs, said U-shaped portion including resilient front and rear U-legs, the end of the front U-leg being formed with an inturned lip,

there being spaced inwardly projecting lugs formed on the rear U-leg, and the end of the rear U-leg being turned and formed with a coextensive longitudinally extending upwardly and outwardly projecting resilient angular flange forming a V-shaped pocket between said fiange and said rear U-leg.

6. The construction defined in claim 5 in which said resilient angular flange is formed with a series of perforations.

JACQUES STANITZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,340,949 Goodrich May 25, 1920 2,038,638 Brey Apr. 28, 1936 2,158,467 Madsen May 16, 1930 2,255,950 Shelters Sept. 16, 1941 

